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US prosecutors have appealed a federal judge’s decision to dismiss a criminal case against Donald Trump.

Let’s break it down:
Appeal Filed: US prosecutors appealed a decision by US District Judge Aileen Cannon to dismiss a criminal case against former President Donald Trump. The case, brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith, accused Trump of illegally retaining classified documents after his presidency. The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which will hear the appeal, has six of its twelve active judges appointed by Trump. Previously, the 11th Circuit had overturned another ruling by Cannon related to the Mar-a-Lago documents case.

Grounds for Dismissal: Judge Cannon ruled that Smith’s appointment by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 was unconstitutional, as Congress had not authorized such a degree of power and independence for a special counsel. Cannon was appointed by then-president Trump in 2020.

Broader Context: This dismissal is part of a series of legal victories for Trump, including a US Supreme Court ruling granting him broad immunity from prosecution for official presidential actions. This Supreme Court decision has impacted another case brought by Smith regarding allegations that Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election results.   

Digging Deeper: Trump is also facing criminal charges in other cases, including a conviction in New York for felony charges related to hush money payments and state charges in Georgia regarding his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. His legal team has called for the dismissal of all four criminal cases against him following Cannon’s ruling.